Bionic Woman: Time To Let Go
by jtbwriter
Summary: When closing a chapter in their lives, Jaime and Steve Austin pause to remember how their family began.
1. Chapter 1

Bionic Woman: Time To Let Go

When closing a chapter in their lives, Jaime and Steve pause to remember how their family began.

Thanks to Bionic4ever for the inspiration, and to Universal/Kenneth Johnson for the timeless characters of the Bionic Woman/Six Million Dollar Man. They don't belong to me, (except for Chrystal) but I promise to take very good care of them and put them back safe and sound.

"Okay, Colonel, ma'am, that's the last box."

Two heads turned, then gazed at each other before one answered.

"Thanks, we'll be right out."

The moving van driver nodded, then cleared his throat.

"Uh, sir…..I was wondering, didn't you used to be an astronaut."

Steve Austin smiled, it had been a while. "Yes, I was. A long time ago."

"That's what I thought, sir. I remember, I was a little kid, but ..you were the last one to go to the moon." Sheepishly the man replied, then added, "My mother lives just a few streets over, says it's a shame you're moving after all these years, you've been a good neighbor."

"Well, tell her thank you for me…..We'll be back some time." Hearing that, Jaime Austin cleared her throat, as if the emotions of the moment had caught up with her.

"Thank you for all your help, Jack. We'll be ready in a moment."

"Take your time, ma'am." he answered, suddenly bashful. As he vanished out the door, Steve crossed the room and put an arm around his wife.

"I know it's hard to let go, sweetheart…..so many memories….."

Jaime put her head against his shoulder and sighed. "It wouldn't be so bad, but finding Chrystal's pacifier…."

"I know, I know." Steve stroked her hair, then gazed around the front room. "I still remember the day we couldn't find it, I never thought we'd make it past our first day here……"

_"I've got the door, pal……everything's ready." Oscar Goldman carried a diaper bag under one arm as he pushed open the screen door._

_"Thanks, Oscar." A muffled voice sounded behind him._

_In staggered a pile of suitcases and presents, heading right for the living room sofa. As the load was dropped, a red faced man emerged._

_"Talk about a workout, my back will never be the same." He quipped tiredly, then he heard a familiar voice in back of him._

_"Then I'll just have to give you a backrub." Jaime replied, giving him a squeeze then setting the precious load in her arms down in its car seat._

_Blue eyes looked down into blue eyes, then the smaller ones closed in a yawn._

_"Somebody's had a big day, yes she has…." Steve smiled, reaching down then picking up his daughter. At once she let out a cooing noise, and tears sprang to Jaime's eyes as she put her arm around him._

_"Our happy girl knows her daddy ……Darling, look at those eyes, so beautiful."_

_"She's our shiny Chrystal, as pretty as her mom." Steve kissed the baby's forehead, then added one to Jaime's nose. "Thank you, sweetheart."_

_"Well, thank you too, after all, this was a joint mission." She teased, sitting down on their new sofa._

_"And who was responsible for your "mission"? Hmmmm?" Oscar came back into the room, his tired eyes brightening at the sight of the little family._

_"You and Rudy, and we'll never forget that…." Jaime beckoned him over, then handed him his godchild. "Here, Chrissy, this is your Uncle Oscar"._

_Now it was the older man's turn to mist up. "Babe, she's perfect, she looks just like you." He gently rocked the little girl, and soon she was sound asleep._

_"Only you, pal….you're the only one who can put her to sleep so quick. Remind me to call you at 2 in the morning when she won't go down." Steve ragged, secretly pleased to see his friend enjoying his daughter._

_"Well, I think your new place needs a toast." Rudy Wells entered the house, holding a basket of food and a bottle of sparkling cider._

_"Rudy, you come up with the best ideas…." Jaime hugged her long-time friend, then helped open the bottle of bubbly._

_Once their glasses were filled, Oscar raised his glass. "To Jaime and Steve and Chrystal, may your home never know anything but happiness."_

_"Amen"_

_Clinking glasses, Jaime felt a swell of gratitude. At last they had their own home. She raised her cider and cleared her throat._

_"And to our family here and elsewhere, for all their help and support."_

_"Amen"_

_The moment of unity was broken by a full-blown wail, and at once Jaime picked up a wide-awake Chrystal._

_"She says "Amen" too, and….uh, Steve, where's her mitty?"_

_Steve started to smirk, Jaime's name for Chrystal's pacifier always cracked him up. His mirth was short-lived as his daughter's cry grew louder._

_"It's okay, Chrissy, I'll find it….Jaime, it was in her bag last time I saw it…"_

_At once there was a mad scramble, as four adults tore the carefully arranged living room apart. Soon Jaime was practically in tears rocking and trying to sooth their red-faced baby._

_"Let me get an ice cube, maybe she's teething…." Rudy raced out of the room, unable to see Chrystal's tears. _

_Steve and Oscar were just about ready to drive to the store to get another pacifier when "I found it!" froze them in their tracks._

_Into the room stepped a relieved doctor, handing the "mitty" to Jaime, who gently put it in Chrystal's mouth. Like a switch had been flipped, her wails stopped, and a soft sucking noise told them she was satisfied._

_"Rudy, thank you, where was it?" Jamie held their daughter and leaned tiredly against Steve, who was busy wiping his eyes._

_"In the refrigerator, honey. You probably put it there to get cold for her." Rudy chuckled._

_Jaime nodded, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, guys. I should have remembered that."_

_"No harm, Babe." Oscar gave her a hug, then patted Steve on the shoulder._

_"I think you three need a rest. Why don't Rudy and Linda and I come over and help you finish unpacking in the morning?"_

_"Thanks, pal. I appreciate it. We'll have breakfast ready for you." Steve told him gratefully._

_As they waved goodbye to the two men they owed their lives to, Steve looked down at Jaime, then dropped a kiss on her lips. "Come on, "mommy", I'll help you put our baby to bed, then we can break in our own room."_

_"Yes, "daddy".", she grinned, leading the way._

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"Dad, did you ship my trunk?" Even over the phone she sounded like her mom. 

"Yes, Chrissy, it's on it's way, probably'll beat the moving van there." Steve replied, smiling. Next to him stood Jaime, trying to wait her turn at speaking with their daughter.

"Thanks, Dad. I forgot and put my planner in there, I'll be lost at school without it! Is Mom there?"

"Yes, I had to wrestle for the phone with her, now stop that!" Steve made fighting noises and Jaime laughed in spite of herself. "Give me that phone, you nut!"

"I'll talk to you when we're on our way, honey. Love you!" he told her, then passed the phone to his wife.

As he switched places with her in the phone booth, he caught sight of the pendant Jaime always wore, and he was filled with memories of the day it was lost and found.

_"Happy Birthday, dear Chrissy….Happy Birthday to you……"_

_"And many more…." Rudy Wells added, making Chrystal giggle. "Thanks, Uncle Rudy! This is the best birthday ever!"_

_"I'm glad, honey, now make a wish, and the Birthday Fairy will make it come true." He told her solemnly. Jaime came in with ice cream and overheard him. "Rudy….." she groaned._

_"It's true, Mommy, I did wish and it did come true!" Chrystal exclaimed, then turned as Steve and Oscar joined them at the table._

_"What did you wish, sweetheart?" Jaime asked, placing a plate of cake and ice cream in front of her._

_"That you and Daddy wouldn't have to go away for my birthday this year, and you didn't." She beamed, then suddenly threw her arms around a startled Oscar. "And that you would come too, Uncle Oscar."_

_There was a moment of silence, then Oscar managed to say, "Thank you, honey. I'm glad I came too. And I want to promise you….." he swallowed hard, "Your mommy and daddy won't have to leave on important stuff on your birthday again, I'll do my best to make sure of that."_

_Jaime wiped her eyes as Steve said quietly, "Thank you, Oscar. Chrissy, you know Mommy and I will try to always be there for you, don't you?"_

_The little girl nodded, then seeing her mom's upset face, started to sniff. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad. I know you won't leave me on purpose."_

_"Of course, baby…." Jaime hugged Chrystal to her, then cleared her throat. "Now as soon as you finish your cake, you can open your presents. Your Aunt Linda should be here by then."_

_"Okay, Mommy!" A smile appeared as fast as sunshine on her daughter's face and she dug into her ice cream as Steve muttered an excuse and vanished into the kitchen._

_Leaving Rudy and Oscar to finish their dessert, Jaime followed him into the pantry and without a word went into Steve's arms. "Steve….I didn't know, oh that breaks my heart…."_

_"Shhh, it's all right. I didn't either…" he choked out, overcome by their child's words. "For Oscar to promise…..he means it, sweetheart."_

_"I know…Do you know how lucky we are that she doesn't hate us, or Oscar….." Jaime's tears started to flow, and Steve got his own emotions under control so he could comfort her. "Of course she doesn't hate us, Jaime, she knows we came home as soon as we could, Mom and Dad made sure she understood."_

_"I know, what would we do without them…" Jaime sighed, fumbling for a Kleenex. Steve smiled and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. "Here you go, honey."_

_"Thank you, Steve. What would I do without you?" She blew her nose, then took a deep breath as Chrystal's voice carried into the room. "Mommy, I'm finished!"_

_"Come on, sweetheart, let's open some presents." Steve took her hand and kissed it, then led her back to the dining room._

_It was after Chrystal had thanked her parents for the bicycle and helmet they gave her, that Jaime noticed her locket was missing from around her neck._

_"Steve, don't move….I've lost my pendant!" she said, panic rising in her voice. At once she dropped to her knees, feeling around the carpet, then was joined by an understanding Rudy and Oscar._

_"Where was the last time you saw it, honey?" Rudy asked, as Steve carefully went around the house, using his bionic eye to center on the floor in each of the rooms._

_"I…I don't remember….I know I put it on this morning." She replied, trying not to get upset._

_After an hour, Jaime was resigned to never seeing her mother's locket again when Steve came up behind her and put his arms around her. "How much do you love me?"_

_Jaime had a tingling in her heart, and started to grin. "As much as I love anything, even more then my pendant."_

_She felt him trying not to laugh. "As much as that, huh? Okay, you can have this."_

_A laugh bubbled up inside her as she saw the heart-shaped pendant come over her head then felt Steve's fingers gently fasten it around her neck._

_" Where did you find it?"_

_"In the pantry, sweetheart." He kissed her neck, then found her lips on his as she turned in his embrace._

_"Remind me to go looking for things with you in there, sometime." Jaime cooed._

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay, Jaime, one more picture, then we have to go." Steve said, a wistful look on his face. He was standing in front of his childhood home, trying not to look at the "For Sale" sign perched next to the mailbox his dad had made. 

So many dreams had been started in that house, but now it was an empty shell. Oh, the realtors had been smart enough to "stage" the house with furnishings that fit the style of the wooden cupboards and chintz-hung windows, but it wasn't "theirs" anymore. When his parents died, within months of each other, it had lost its feeling of home for him and Jaime.

"Steve?"

He turned to see Jaime standing next to their car, an understanding look on her face. At once he realized how painful it must be for her to let go of the home she had known for much of her teenage years.

"Oh, honey….." he went to her side, then put his arms around her and held her tightly. Through the haze of tears in his eyes he stared down the street he had played ball on and rode bikes on and …lived his young life on.

"I don't want to leave either, darling. So many happy times……but we'll be with Chrystal, and our family." She whispered, her hand caressing the back on his neck.

"I know, sweetheart….." he returned, giving her an extra squeeze, then managing a laugh as he went to swipe his sleeve across his eyes and found a handkerchief in his hand.

"Turnabouts fair play, Steve." She smiled, as he dabbed at his eyes, then put the cloth in his pocket. Gazing around one last time, it was Jaime's turn to be caught up in remembrance of one day in particular…not that long ago….

_"Mom, it's not fair, why do I have to get rid of Valentine?"_

_Chrystal's voice carried throughout the house, and Jaime winced at the hurt it carried._

_"Honey, we went over this, the City Council re-zoned this area, so there'll be no more horse stables. And since you're going to college, it just wouldn't be fair to him to rent space somewhere so you can see him a couple of times each month." She explained, her heart torn at having to give the beloved horse away. Putting away the dishes from supper, Jaime left the kitchen and found her daughter pacing angrily in the living room._

_"But I'm the only person he's ever known, he'll never let anyone else ride him, then they'll ship him off to the slaughterhouse." Chrystal raised her head, then glared at her mother. "Grandpa said he'd keep him for me, if it's okay with him….."_

_"Chrystal, stop it. Your Grandfather isn't well enough to care for Valentine, much less give him the exercise he needs….." she began, then stopped as Steve came into the house._

_"Your mother's right…." He said, interrupting his wife, then a flicker of a smile appeared on his face as Chrystal bowed her head, realizing he wouldn't back her up._

_"However…..we could have your Uncle Oscar take him back to Arizona with him, he told me he'd look after him until Christmas vacation." Steve continued._

_Both women looked at him, as he added, "Oscar said he could resist you, honey, but not your mother's "please?"_

_"You..asked him, Mom?" Chrystal gazed at her parents, then hurled herself at them, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Mom, Dad. I've been so mean….I love you both so much, I don't want to go away, please, can I go to college here?"_

_Astonished, Jaime and Steve clung to her, then Steve said, his voice cracking, "Chrissy, I thought you wanted to go away to school?"_

_"No, I don't want to….I thought it would be fun to try someplace new, but I don't know anyone up north, I want to go to CSO with everyone else…..please?" her muffled voice answered them, then Jaime took out a Kleenex and dried Chrystal's face._

_"Of course, baby, you can stay here, we love you and just want you to be happy….."_

_"And maybe they'll let you keep Valentine at the Agricultural barn, I bet they have a stable there…." Steve followed his wife's words with a watery smile._

_"Oh, Dad…" Chrystal sniffed, then kissed both her parents. "You two are the best, thank you!"_

"Time to go, sweetheart."

Steve's voice brought her back to the present, and unconsciously she wiped her eyes.

"Okay, Steve." Jaime hurriedly took out her camera, and snapped one last picture.

Turning toward their car, she found Steve watching her, and she smiled at him as he held out his hand. "Anywhere we go is home, honey."

"Anywhere with you is home." She answered, entwining her fingers with his.

As they climbed in their car and headed toward the freeway, there was no need to look back, Jaime decided. All their memories lay before them, waiting to be made.

Fin


End file.
